In 2004 Managed Solutions became a partner of Axis Communications to provide IP security camera solutions to our customers. As a security centric provider we realized the need to infuse the traditional physical security model with additional technological solutions. One of the best ways to add more physical security to a enterprise is through the use of security cameras. Security cameras allow you to record your facilities 24/7/365. The mere presence of security cameras is likely to have a dramatic affect on the security of your facility.

In the unlikely and unfortunate event that something should happen in spite of the presence of the cameras if properly configured you will have hard evidence of the event to turn over to the authorities. Security cameras can also reduce the work load and increase the efficiency of your organization. By being able to monitor an infinite number of locations management can have a better feel for what is taking place in their facility, regardless of how large or small it might be. Remote sites can also be monitored and limit the need for a physical presence. All of this is made possible while utilizing pre-existing TCP/IP networks. This limits the need for new cabling infrastructure to be installed. Regardless of why you need surveilance, Axis Communications is the leader in the IP surveillance arena. They are an innovator in the field of IP Surveillance hardware and software and a valuable partner for any organization.

A typical Axis Camera Network utilizes your existing network infrastructure. By offering indoor and outdoor cameras that support Power Over Ethernet (POE) or add on POE midspan products in addition to wired and wireless networking they give us maximum installation flexibility. Their cameras also range from very basic static cameras up to sophisticated Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) units. Axis is also renowned for the image quality their cameras produce, this is an important criteria when you evaluate IP Surveilance products. The heart of their system is the Camera Station software. This software provides you with monitoring, recording, playback and event management. Because the system is TCP/IP network based, remote reviewing and playback are also supported. The package is rounded out with stand alone recording products for situations where the end user wants the data stored off their traditional file servers.

Any company, government, or group of individuals utilizing computers to complete tasks is a form of enterprise. This is not the typical view in the IT world. If you ask most people what “enterprise computing” is, they will tell you a large systems and network infrastructure belonging to a large government agency or company. We believe that any group of computers used by an organization of any size represents an “enterprise”. The needs don’t change on the basis of size alone. Any infrastructure should be designed and managed for ease of use, maximum return on investment, high availability, and secure from hackers, viruses and other threats.

Many enterprises take steps to secure their physical presence through locks on doors, security guards, perhaps even video cameras. However, the modern marketplace has become increasingly reliant upon their networks as a means of doing business, storing their intellectual property, client contacts, human resource data, and other critical information. The security measures taken to protect an enterprise’s digital assets often pale in comparison to the ‘brick and mortar’ approach.

The biggest difference between the security approaches of a smaller business and a large company or entity is commonly the amount of risk taken and the perceived impact of the risk. Many small to mid sized business have a greater tolerance for risks because they perceive that the cost of protection outweighs the impact or likelihood of the risk occurring. Larger entities tend to be risk-averse, as they view the likelihood and impact of a security risk to be higher, based on their assets, professional reputation, and other factors.

The Managed Solutions “Secure Enterprise” model is a comprehensive set of products, services, and practices that assist you in protecting your business from existing and emerging security threats, hardware failures, system abuse, data loss and most importantly downtime. By utilizing our experience with the small to mid sized IT customers we can better assist you in finding the best balance of stability, performance, reliability and security while minimizing your total costs over the long term. Any solution this comprehensive is always changing and adapting to the changes in the computing environment and to take advantage of new products and practices. Without this commitment to improvement a system of this nature would become obsolete very quickly leaving your business and your reputation vulnerable.

Simplicity and convenience have made Email the primary communication tool for many businesses. According to studies performed in recent years poorly worded emails could generate negative feelings by co-workers, customers or even your boss. Poorly organized Email communications can also cause delays or even hurt business relationships. Respondents in some of these studies acknowledged that confrontations with co-workers had taken place due to Email misunderstandings. To fully take advantage of Email in a business environment we suggest the following:

1. Organize Your Message
Not all email recipients have large desktop resolutions to view poorly organized emails. Organize your message by separating paragraphs and when applicable use bullet points or numbering to organize the main issues logically. This will help keep your readers from being discouraged by your message.

2. Get to the Point
It is a lot easier to misunderstand intentions in a written message. Face to face or phone based communications have many factors that influence how a message is perceived such as body language or tone. Written messages should be clear and direct. Be sure to proof read messages you author and re-read messages received to make sure you’re not misinterpreting the words.

3. Stick to One Subject
By lumping more than one issue in a message it makes it more difficult for the recipient to respond in an orderly fashion. By staying to one subject you make it easier for the respondent to communicate back effectively. Send multiple messages as necessary.

4. Meaningful Subjects
By utilizing subjects that summarize the focus of the message all parties in an Email correspondence will be able to more effectively identify and organize their messages. For example when responding to a faxed Request for Quote numbered RFQ1234 instead of saying “Proposal” try being specific “Proposal for new Gizmo RFQ#1234 6/20/2005” using customer identity #’s whenever provided. Don’t hesitate to modify the subject if multiple responses lead to a change of the subject matter discussed in the message. By making it easier for your recipient you are more likely to get a favorable or prompt response.

5. Response Options
When responding to a message there are several methods to keep the message flowing logically. Sometimes “threading” or responding to specific points in line such as bullet points is highly effective. If for example you are given 8 numbered or bulleted questions about products your company offers, responding to each point in your reply underneath the original bullet or numbered question will likely be easier to understand by the reader. When appropriate you can also remove some or all of the text of the original message.

6. Carbon Copy Field
Only include recipients in the CC field that need to know about the topic. When an email with multiple recipients becomes a two way conversation do not cc all the original recipients. Use the TO field for recipients that may respond and use CC for people who are not active participants in the message.

7. Formality
Avoid use of slang, abbreviations and smileys 🙂 or other emoticons.

8. Priority
Only tag truly urgent messages as high priority. Your respondents will be much more likely to treat your truly critical and appropriately tagged messages with much more urgency this way.

9. Slow Down to Speed Up
Take extra time reading, proofing and re-reading messages. The time saved from misunderstandings or confusion will be well worth the extra minutes spent on prevention.

10. Choose the Appropriate Medium
We have numerous electronic ways to communicate with one another but sometimes a phone call or a face to face meeting is more appropriate. Consider all mediums before deciding which is most effective for the issue at hand.

The last few years many of us have worked hard to convince others of the merits of internet connectivity and the tools associated with it such as Email. The productivity benefits of the net and the associated communication and collaboration tools are desirable to any business. We even heard the fed chairman Alan Greenspan mention “productivity” as a factor in the prospering economy, perhaps largely due to these tools. Perhaps the time has come for us to reflect on the negative elements and potential pitfalls associated with access to this wonder of modern technology. A great place to start would be, well, productivity. Today I was briefly distracted by a neat flash soccer game a colleague had shared with me. Or what about that temptation to send those joke e-mails to hundreds of your closest friends and co-workers? Certainly some of the good with the bad is ok, right? How about those viruses? You know the ones that disguise themselves as one of those joke e-mails that your buddy in accounting always sends you. Or maybe like the one your cousin in the Midwest sent you yesterday. Another threat you could face is having someone shut your computer down if you happen to be running the wrong browser and visit the wrong site, or worse yet hitting the wrong site with the latest exploit that no patch exists for. Let me get on with my real point here. The internet and email are not toys; they are tools, at least for business purposes. Risks taken by a home user are acceptable to the degree that they are willing, but out of respect for your profession it is becoming more and more apparent to me that you should treat your work systems as a the valuable tool that it is. Even if you have expert IT professionals setting up and maintaining these systems, you can still be at risk. Why take the chance?

Now let’s break down what an IT professional or qualified organization like Managed Solutions can do to help you protect your business:

1. Implement antivirus systems and policies, particularly at the entry points such as email and internet gateways.
2. Increase security policies for web browsers and mail clients.
3. Lock down routers, firewalls, and machines to necessary and mission critical services only.
4. Implement an Acceptable Usage Policy or AUP that would hold employees accountable for placing the systems at risk, simple guidelines that are easy to understand are most effective.
5. Become “in tune” to the security issues that arise on a daily basis and dynamically adjust the approach to securing systems from these risks starting with the most significant threats and working down from there, working diligently to close any potential security hole that may exist.
6. Stay ahead of the curve by seeking the next problem and solution, it is a moving target most of the time.

Now let’s take a look at what the end user can do to help protect their employer and their productivity:

1. Follow any guidelines or AUP that your organization provides to their employees.
2. Avoid using business mail systems for personal use, if necessary use a web mail service like hotmail or one provided by your home ISP and avoid opening any attachments on your work system.
3. Verify the authenticity of any email you receive with attachments, particularly if they claim to contain patches or anti-virus solutions in them. Most IT professionals would limit such correspondences to warnings but avoid sending files.
4. Never intentionally disable or circumvent security or protective measures in place, when you do you are opening yourself and your companies systems to a plethora of threats.
5. Do not install any software on your work machine, unless explicitly advised to do so by an individual with the authorization to do so. Many innocuous programs can harbor Trojan horse viruses or spy ware.
6. Remind yourself that thing on your desk is a tool, it is intended to help you and your employer be successful. Don’t take risks with your livelihood.

I am not using Email or Internet access in my business but would like to, what should I do?

1. Get the advice of a respected IT professional in your area, be sure to ask for references and check them out before proceeding.
2. Focus initially on what you want to accomplish and why. Make sure that your expectations and needs are well presented.
3. Get a second opinion if you’re not comfortable with the provider you consult initially.

In Joe's day job he helps manufacturers eliminate waste in their engineering, CNC programming and machining departments. He is currently 2018-2019 chair of the Sacramento Valley SME, an avid Maker and current Mechatronics student.